Surekha Yadav, a trailblazer on Central Railway tracks
“Passion for the job kept me going,” says Surekha Yadav, Asia’s first woman loco pilot, who is set to retire on September 30 after 36 years of service.
The trailblazing loco-pilot, who grew up in Maharashtra’s Satara district, laid the track for the 2,037 women who currently steer trains across India’s gargantuan railway network.
When Yadav, a diploma holder in electrical engineering, came to Mumbai to earn a living, little did she know the pioneering role she would play and the barriers she would break.
Difficult conditions
“I cleared the exam for the assistant loco pilot and joined Central Railway after six months of training. Women usually do not opt to become a loco pilot as they have to work in difficult conditions. However, I was excited when I cleared the exam and got a chance to become the first woman to operate a train,” Yadav told businessline.
Initially, given the task of piloting goods trains when she joined Central Railway in 1989, Yadav earned her spurs and moved to operating passenger long-distance trains. In 2000, she started piloting Mumbai’s lifeline — local trains on the Central Railway — and also operated trains between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Thane-Badlapur-Karjat and Kasara. Yadav has also piloted the Mumbai-Pune pride, Deccan Queen, that traverses the difficult Bhor Ghat.
“My parents supported my decision to become a loco pilot in a male-dominated profession, and after marriage, my husband too stood by me,” she said.
Yadav, who lives in Thane with her husband (a State government retiree) and two children, has motivating as well as cautionary words for women who want to emulate her.
Not an easy job
“Working as a loco pilot is not a regular or easy job. It involves working long hours, often during the night, and a single mistake could lead to a major railway accident,” she warned.
“One will be required to operate trains under difficult situations. Small challenges also include that there are no washroom facilities on board, and you cannot just leave the train to use one,” she said.
And, yet, sheer passion made Yadav stay on track to show the way.
Published on September 22, 2025
